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Brand Beginnings:
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) opened its first store in 1859, and coffee was among the signature products of the supermarket chain. In 1919, A&P introduced the famous "Eight O'Clock Coffee" trademark. It is said that the company arrived at the name after conducting a survey as to what time of day most coffee was consumed; the most popular time was Eight O'Clock - both a.m. and p.m.
Tradition of Excellence:
During the 1920s and 1930s, the coffee business in the United States was primarily whole bean, and Eight O'Clock Coffee was the best-selling coffee in the entire world. In the early 1930s, with distribution limited to the East Coast and parts of the Mid-West, Eight O'Clock coffees enjoyed a 25% share of the national coffee business. (One out of every four cups of coffee consumed in America was Eight O'Clock Coffee!)
Expansion and Growth:
In 1979, Compass Foods (a subsidiary of A&P), began selling Eight O'Clock Coffee to other leading retailers, and this expansion has continued until today. Eight O'Clock Coffee now is offered in roughly 65% of all grocery stores, and the majority of its sales occur in retailers beyond A&P. Eight O' Clock Coffee remains America's best selling whole bean coffee, and is the 3rd-largest national brand in terms of volume.
The Birth of Ground:
In July of 2003, Eight O'Clock Coffee launched a line of ground coffees to deliver the signature Eight O'Clock whole bean taste and freshness with pre-ground convenience. Eight O'Clock ground coffees offer the same premium coffee beans and high roasting standards in the most popular varieties - Original, 100% Colombian, French Roast, Hazelnut and Original Decaffeinated.
You'll find Eight O'Clock ground coffees adjacent to Eight O'Clock whole bean coffees in popular retailers throughout the U.S. To view Eight O'Clock Coffee products, click here. To view a list of stores selling Eight O'Clock Coffee, click here.
Eight O'Clock Coffee is Reborn: In November of 2003, The Eight O'Clock Coffee Company was incorporated, marking the end of the brand's 150-year relationship with A&P. Recharged and revitalized, The Eight O'Clock Coffee Company will continue to roast and sell coffees of distinctive quality and outstanding value that are worthy of the Eight O'Clock name and heritage.
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